I am very familiar with procrastination. My friends and family would probably laugh at how understated that is. From elementary school right on up to the dirty oil in my car at this moment, I understand the joys of putting things off. Of course, I’ve also suffered the consequences of that habit more times than I can count. That’s why it’s considered a bad habit.
That doesn’t bother me much—let your grass grow and your oil rot. Here’s what can be tragic. As the list of things to do gets longer, we reorganize in terms of immediacy rather than what you deeply value. The grass gets cut (immediacy) but your brother remains uncalled (value). The oil gets changed (immediacy) but you still can’t play an instrument (value). It’s easy to realize ten years down the road that we missed on the important things.
Here’s one of the heavyweights in that arena, and it’s why this site exists. You do what you need to do to stay employed (immediacy) but you remain in a job that makes you miserable (value).
Because those two things feed on each other, this is a vicious circle of the worst order. It goes like this: You get a new job and are optimistic. The newness of it makes it okay and more money is good. The newness wears off. You hate your job and realize it’s a bad fit. You are close to a raise/promotion. You stick it out in hopes that things will be better then. You get promoted and are optimistic! The newness of it makes it okay and more money is good. The newness wears off…
It gets worse. After a few of these cycles, the promotions come less frequently and you’ve gotten adjusted to that higher level of income. You spend more and more time in the “You hate your job and realize it’s a bad fit” stage. Like an addiction, it becomes that much harder to quit the longer you’ve been at it.
Start thinking about making a change now—yesterday even. Waiting makes it exponentially harder to make that change. It’s always possible, but it’ll never be easier than today. Decide to spend at least 30 minutes a day really thinking about where you’re headed. Talk to your friends and family about it. Get their support. Start cutting back expenses now so you’ll have more options. Don’t wait for that promotion.
I understand that in some cases, the promotion really does make the difference. That’s why I advise that you start thinking about it rather than just up and quitting. For most people though, this rule applies: a pumpkin seed becomes a pumpkin. If you’re not really supposed to be a pumpkin seed, you weren’t meant to be a pumpkin either. Be wary of blind optimism and procrastination.
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6 responses so far ↓
1 Lenore // Jun 30, 2007 at 8:04 am
I like the seed analogy. It also means you must have a fertile environment. So understanding what you need to grow, might not even mean you’re doing the wrong thing. You may be the “seed” you are meant to be. You might just be planted in the wrong place!
2 Eric B // Jul 2, 2007 at 1:14 pm
The “immediacy” and “value” reference are great. I think it portrays how we can get so involved in a job we are not meant to hold.
It is rarely ever good to quit a job with nothing else lined up. This will probably get you into another job situation with a misplaced immediacy vs. values dilemma.
3 Stephen Byerly // Jul 10, 2007 at 10:38 am
I love the “immediacy” vs. “value” comparisons. It’s amazing how often immediacy is put before value, and really robs you of the things that matter. For the first time, I see the value in procrastination!
4 Gilldaman // Jul 10, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I am actually a Professor of Procrastination, if you ever care to take my class, it’ll start eventually.
We work to live, we do not live to work!
5 Chris // Jul 11, 2007 at 5:44 pm
pretty much described my situation. The money and perks were good…covered up the fact that I completely hate what I do…and now I don’t like the people I work with–it’s become very hard to drag myself in every morning.
6 Act Now or Forever Hate Your Job // Oct 4, 2007 at 6:24 am
[…] “HateYour Job, No Time Like the Present”: The cycle goes like this: You get a new job and are optimistic. The newness of it makes it okay and more money is good. The newness wears off. You hate your job and realize it’s a bad fit. You are close to a raise/promotion. You stick it out in hopes that things will be better then. You get promoted and are optimistic! The newness of it makes it okay and more money is good. The newness wears off… etc… […]
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